Boxing glove



July 26, 1932. A. E. KENNEDY BOXING GLOVE Original FiledlFeb. '7. 1930 flegfv.

ATroRNEY l f' INVENTQR 76 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES p,AT1-:Wr"'olirllcla. -n

ALLEN E. KENNEDY, or UTICA; NEW YORK BOXING GLOVE Y Application sled February 7, 1930, semina. 426,630. Renewed Mayas. 1932.

. This invention relates to boxing gloves and is more particularly concerned with the construction of the palm portion of the glove to provide an external grip for the fingers.

j ln gloves of this type as heretofore con structed, a single palm piece extending from above the grip to a point below the grip has been used and a separate grip strip traversing the palm has been applied over this one piece section, stitched thereto and padded with suitable material. VViththe body of the one-piece palm back of and stifened by this grip the palm cannot conform to the natural contour of the hand and th-e interior of the glove, particularly the nger holding portion, cannot be adequately ventilated. And since the palm, because of the interposed body of the one piece palm, and the overlying grip, cannot conformto the natural contour of the hand when flexed to grip, the glove does not adequately adjust itself to the knuckles.

One object of the present invention is the construction of the palm of the glove to provide a grip with the palm conforming to the contour of the hand, more easily flexible to grip and adequately ventilated.

` Another object of the invention is to effect these results by a construction facilitating manufacture with economies in manufactur-- ing costs accompanied by improved fit and comfort in the glove itself.

These objects are attained in accordance with the present invention, by forming the palm of the glove as separate upper and lower sections spaced and joined by a a palm traversing grip lapping over and joined to the outer faces of the spaced abutting edges of the upper and lower sections. By thus piecing the palm, I eliminatethat integral palm portion which formerly under lay the' grip and formed surplusage preventing conformation of the glove palm to the natural conformation of the hand and restricting the flexing of the palm by the hand, and in so doing I am enabled to kconstruct the palm portion 'more economically.

'Preferably the lower palmsection which, as usual forms the lacing portion, instead of being formed of one piece, 'slit and edge bound,l is made in two complemental pieces abutting and laced together along the longitudinal median line ofthe palm, since this facilitates the application of the binding or edging andthe formation of the lacing holes or eyelets and enables smaller and therefore less expensivepieces of leather to be used for this purpose. 5 i

The grip which traverses the 'glove palm is in the form of a single strip ofl leather or other material of greater width than the spacing between the upper and lower `palm sections to provide protuberant fullness and is stued from the interior of the palm portion, a light flexiblej fabric lining which conveniently may extend to the tip of thev glove being stitched at its low-er end to the inner faces of the spaced abutting ends ofthe upper andA lower palm'sections to form the back of the grip and to retain thev stuffing therein as well vas provide a lining for the interior of the glove. This lining, being of relatively 'light flexible fabric, will not resist free flexing vof the glove palm and conformation ofthe innerface of the palm to the contour of theflngers and palm of the hand.v

` The invention consists in the construction,

iro'

arrangement and combinations of parts herej in described andv claimed and will be'more clearly apparent from the following detailed description whichv is'to be read in-conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation ofthe palm face of a boxing glove constructed in accordance with the present invention.

. Figure 2 is a plan view of the component parts of the glove palm, including the grip strip, separated and in their associatedl rela-` tion.

- assembled and stitched together with lilling appliedto the grip and with the tipV end of the lining backing the grip shown.

Figure 4f is a longitudinal section through the'assembled-palm shown in Figure 3, taken on the line -fl Lolf Figure 3.

' Figure 5 is a detail of the strip of lining applied to thev under face of the palm and backing the grip strip.

Aside from `the construction olf the palm portion, the gloveshown in Figure 1 may be of any suitable form. As shown in Figure l, the back is extended over the upper end ol" the glove to its innerl'ace as atip lgcurved in the manner shown in Figure 1 and shirred as shown, the lower edge ol:I the tip 1` being yjoined to the upper edge of the upper end section of the palm constituting* more particularly the subject of the present invention, and the sidesV of thel back extending to and joining the outer side edges of this palm,

as in the usual glove construction.

. My improved palm is formed as uppery and lower portions horizontally separated and spanned. and joined by a palm traversing linger grip. lThevupper section 2 (Fig. 2) has a curved transverse upper edge 3, which is stitched to the lower edge of the shirred over folded top l of theglove back, and a .straight horizontal lower edge A. This upper portion 2 may be termed the finger end portion. Its lower straight edge i 4L is spaced longitudinally or vertically ol' thepalm from the upper straight edge of ay lower or lacing portion which, as shown, and as preferable,

is in the form of complemental sections 5 and 6 having abutting longitudinal lacing edges 7 extending substantially in the longitudinal median line of thepalm. These edges and the bottom edges of the sections 5 and .6 are protected by binding 8 stitched thereto.

The binding extends up to the upper transv versely alined horizontal upper edges 9 of the sections 5 and 6 which are in parallely with and determinat'ely spaced from the opposed lower edge l ofthe upper or'linger end portion 2. rlhe lower ends of the sections 5 and 6 are intended to overlie the wrist and may, if desired, have an additional layer oli' yleather or other lfabricstitched thereto as a reinforcement as suggested in, Figures 2 and 3. One of the lacing sections, as shown, section 6, .isincut at its outer side, as at 10, Fig. 2,Y to receive a thumb section 11,- and `the edges of both sections routwardly of the binding 8 are perforated to receive the usual lacing 12 (F ig. y

The described upper and ,lower palm sections are transversely divided andspaced at a point in the length of the hand which may be selectively variable but whichwlf prefer lto locate substantially inthe line of the' linger bend in the natural closing ol:` hand in the glove, i. e., in the line of the bend of the middle joints of the four lingers. y

The upper and lower edges of their abutting spaced edges are spanned and connected by palm traversing linger grip which is formed by a transverse strip 13 of leather or other suitable material of substantially greater width than rthe spacing of said edges to provide protuberant fullness, this strip having its upper and lower edges stitched to and connecting the spaced abutting edges 4; and 9 of the upper and lower palm sections.

Since the lacing edges 8 extend to the under side of the gripl, air may penetrate to the area occupied bythe fingers of the glove inserted hand and the glove may be freely flexedA since there is no thickness of palm in back of the grip to cramp and restrain free liexure of the palm. Illhe grip 13 protrudes e outwardly from the face of the palm as indicated in Figure l and is held in this protuber- Y ant position by a lilling or stumng 14 of hair, felt or other suitable substance. The grip strip 13 is backed and a pocket is `formed therewith to receive the stuffing 14k by means ol the vliexible inner lining 15 of canvas for the glove tip, this lining having its lower end overlying the inner faces oli the upper and lower palmportion at their abutting edges and stitched to and connecting said edges. This lining, being, for example of light ilexible fabric, does not materially restrict the flexing of the palm as would the leather material of the palm 'ila an integral portion of the palm were employed as a backing for the grip, and being porous, will afford some ventilation oi the lingers extending there above.

With the freedom orylexure afforded by al sectional palm with sections spaced at the grip, the knuckles are freeto* adjust'them- 105 selves* in the glove back and increased comfort and lit are thus secured.

The palm construction involved herein is adaptablegenerally to all types and constructions ol! boxinggloves and while the form disclosedherein represents a preferable arrangementfand construction ofA the palm, it is intended as illustrative only, of the 'invention `and not as restrictive of its structure, and is subgect to variation and modilication to suit 1. A boxing glove havin-g a palm portion 120.

horizontally divided and separated at its upper linger end to provide upper and lower portions spaced apart, a palm .traversing grip i strip spanning and joining the spaced palm portions on their external faces, and a liexible lining underlying said palm portions and said grip strip and secured to the edges of the palm portions and said strip providing a lilling retaining pocket to form the grip. f

2. A boxing glove palm comprising` hori- T30 zontally separated upper and lower sections, a palm traversing nger grip spanning the space between and joining said sections, said grip being in the form of a single strip of material of greater width than the space between the upper and lower palm sections to provide protuberant fullness when stuffed, a. light flexible fabric lining stitched to the inner faces of the spaced abutting ends of the upper and lower palm sections to form the back of the grip and to retain the stuin in the grip and permit free flexing of the gwe palm, said upper section having a curved upper edge for connection with a glove back and a straight horizontal lower edge.

ALLEN E. KENNEDY. 

